Dozens of residents living near Delaware National Golf Course expressed concern Tuesday over plans to build a 264-home community there.
The project, still in the early planning stages, would involve current owner Pettinaro selling the property to Toll Brothers Inc., who would build the community.
Toll Brothers is already building Greenville Overlook on an adjacent parcel that once was part of the golf course.
A major sticking point with residents is traffic.
“What affect does it have on Hercules Road, Centerville Road, Lancaster Pike?” said Russ Hale. “I live in Old Hobson Farm, it takes me 25 minutes in the morning to get out of my development.”
John Madison agreed.
“In the morning, it takes quite a time to get out of Little Falls Village,” he said. And you’re going to add [more] cars…into that mess.”
Toll Brothers Division President Jeffrey Bartos spoke at length at the meeting. In response to traffic concerns, he said a Traffic Impact Study would be required before approval.
Asked if Toll Brothers would stop development if the study yielded unfavorable results, Bartos said no, the company would instead improve the intersections that had an unfavorable rating and continue with development.
A second issue centered on the belief that toxic chemicals from the former Hercules Research Center have contaminated the site. According to Hale, there are rumors that Agent Orange was developed at the facility. The research facility was knocked down about two years ago; the area is now vacant, though still fenced in.
Dr. Randall Detra, Associate Professor of Science and Technology at Neumann University, also commented on the facility.
“I’ve seen vapor releases [from the facility] that kill large areas of vegetation and even two-story trees,” he said. “One thing about the [research] site is that they say it’s safe because there’s very little…people around, and that’s going to change if you start building.”
Other community organizations, such as the Milltown Limestone Civic Alliance (MLCA), have expressed concerns about the pesticides that have been used on the property, and the high levels of chemicals like arsenic that resulted. Bartos has stated that Toll Brothers will be doing a cleanup of pesticide residue at the site similar to what was done at Greenville Overlook. Toll Brothers began a cleanup of contaminated soil there in last September and completed it in November.
Bartos said it was in the company’s best interest to make sure the site was completely safe.
“As a publicly-traded homebuilder, the cardinal rule is ‘Thou shalt not make mistakes,’” he said.
